Genesis 10:5

By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands,.... That is, by those sons of Japheth before mentioned; and by "isles" are meant, not countries surrounded with water, for the isles in

By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

The isles of the Gentiles; not isles properly so called; for why should they, having their choice, forsake the continent for islands, and thereby cut off themselves from their brethren? And where had they ships to transport them? But the word isles here and elsewhere signifies all those countries that had the sea between them and Judea, as it doth , , , , , . And isles are here put for the inhabitants, as the words earth and land are commonly used. This division of the world among them being a work of great weight, was doubtless managed with great care and consultation, and the advice of their heads and governors, and above all by the wise and special providence of God, which at this time did particularly determine the bounds of their several habitations, as it is recorded . Every one after his tongue, i.e. according to their several languages, into which they were divided at Babel. By which it appears that this division, though mentioned before, was not executed till after the confusion of languages at Babel. After their families. Here observe the wise and gracious providence of God mixed with this judgment, that God distributed the languages according to the difference of families and nations, that each several nation, and all the families or branches of that nation, should have one and the same language; whereby both union and love were preserved among themselves, and the several nations were distinguished one from another, which was very fit and necessary for many reasons as that the church of God, which was confined to the Hebrew nation, might neither be mixed with nor infected by the idolatrous nations; and that it might be evident to the world, that the Messias was born of the seed of Abraham according to God’ s promise, &c.

Genesis 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.Ver. 5. By these were the isles of the Gentiles.] That is, the countries of Europe and Asia the Less, inhabited by Japheth’ s posterity. Europe hath its name, in Greek, from the latitude and large surface of it, which answers well to the name of Japheth (signifying enlargement), who, together with his offspring, was, by God’ s appointment, to rule there far and wide toward the west and north. Asia hath its name from two Hebrew words that signify the fire of the Lord, which, in Persia and other parts thereof, they superstitiously deified. Asia the Less, was so called first by Attalus, king of Pergamus, who, being the last of that name and race, made the Romans his heirs by will. They turned his country into a province, and called it Asia, by the name of the continent - as devouring, doubtless in hope, that whole part of the world by this small beginning. Hence, likely, came that first distinction of the Lesser Asia. Eυρωπη, ex ευρεια et ωψ quasi dilatatio . ΰשׁιδ Ignis Domini Q. Curtius saith of Darius, that he called upon the sacred and eternal fire.

(5) Isles of the Gentiles.—The word rendered “isles” means any maritime region. As there were no Gentiles at this time, the phrase should be translated “the coast-lands of the nations.”

Verse 5. Isles of the Gentiles] EUROPE, of which this is allowed to be a general epithet. Calmet supposes that it comprehends all those countries to which the Hebrews were obliged to go by sea, such as Spain, Gaul, Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor. Every one after his tongue] This refers to the time posterior to the confusion of tongues and dispersion from Babel.

5. Of these, &c.] It is probable that the text in this verse has suffered. As in Genesis 10:20 we find “these are the sons of Ham” and in Genesis 10:31 “these are the sons of Shem,” so we should expect in this verse “these are the sons of Japheth.” We should, therefore, probably put a full stop after the word “divided,” and insert: “These are the sons of Japheth.” This will improve the sense; for (1) the words “of these” cannot refer generally to the contents of Gen 10:2-3, but only to the contents of Gen 10:4; (2) while the expression “the isles were divided in their lands” is intolerably harsh. “Of these” should be taken to refer to “the sons of Javan” only. From them the Greek settlements branched off in all directions among the islands and the coastlands, i.e. “the isles of the nations.” After this piece of information the genealogist summarizes the foregoing list, “These are the sons of Japheth in their lands, every one after his tongue,” &c. isles] Better, as R.V. marg., coastlands. Cf. Isaiah 11:11; Jeremiah 2:10; Ezekiel 27:6.

5. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided — Rather, from these [Japhethites] have the [dwellers on the] islands of the [Gentile] nations divided themselves in their lands.